History in Film

The legendary version of the historical El Cid from 11th century Spain. The post El Cid (1961) appeared first on .

A brutal tale of revenge set in early 19th century Tasmania. The post The Nightingale (2018) appeared first on .

The not-so-true story about a French criminal and his repeated escape attempts from the penal system in French Guiana. The post Papillon (1973) appeared first on .

A docudrama featuring actual audio from a 6-year-old girl’s distress call. Our main characters are the dispatch center workers trying to send help her way. The post The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) appeared first on .

A largely fictionalized account of Scottish folk hero Robert Roy McGregor. The post Rob Roy (1995) appeared first on .

You’d never guess that this film is based on actual events, but it is. Based on the non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. The post W033b: Benedetta (2021) appeared first on .

Story of Nathan Rothschild and the founding his family’s banking empire in the 19th century. The post W043b: The House of Rothschild (1934) appeared first on .

The disappointing second season (that possibly led to its cancelation) still gives us some interesting historical tidbits to discuss. The post W008c: Barbarians, season 2 appeared first on .

An animated short biopic about Holocaust survivor Alfred Nakache. The post W062c: Butterfly (2025) appeared first on .

Gives the background of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 C.E. between the Romans and various Germanic tribes. The post W008b: Barbarians, season 1 appeared first on .

Not a full biopic of Martin Luther King Jr., but a look specifically at the events that led to protesters marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The post A066: Selma (2014) appeared first on .

Apple series about the unification of the Hawaiian islands at the end of the 18th century. The post W042a: Chief of War (2025) appeared first on .

A look at 1980 Rhodesia/Zimbabwe through the eyes of a 7-year-old English girl. The post W081b: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2025) appeared first on .

The Battle of Thermopylae! The post W004b: 300 (2006) appeared first on .

Great 4-episode limited series detailing the election and assassination of James Garfield. Does a great job making the world feel lively. The post Death by Lightning (2025) appeared first on .

This film track the fallout from the death of Princess Diana through the eyes of the Royal family and new Prime Minister Tony Blair. The post W086c: The Queen (2006) appeared first on .

This best picture winner details the relationship between King George VI and his speech therapist Lionel Logue. The post W062b: The King’s Speech (2010) appeared first on .

The sheltered young princess learns to advocate for herself and falls in love during this fairly accurate story. The post W043b: The Young Victoria (2009) appeared first on .

A quick look at the French Revolution from the English perspective. We break down the beginning of the Hanoverian Era. The post W041b: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) appeared first on .

A sort of superhero adventure story set during the reign of Queen Anne. While Nell is on the run, a Jacobite plot seeks to dethrone the queen. The post W036b: Renegade Nell (2024) appeared first on .

A brutal film set during the English Civil War of the 17th century. Oliver Cromwell makes a brief appearance. The post W035b: Witchfinder General (1968) appeared first on .

A good look at the brief life of Lady Jane Grey as she is caught up in the succession battle during and after the reign of Edward VI. A good [ … ] The post W028b: Lady Jane (1986) appeared first on .

The story of Henry V, arguably England’s greatest warrior king. The post W024c: The King (2019) appeared first on .

Happy Halloween! It’s 1348 and Sean Bean is on the hunt for a necromancer. The post W022c: Black Death (2010) appeared first on .

A disappointing attempt at an edgy adaptation. The post W022b: Edward II (1991) appeared first on .

Rebekah joins to discuss this delightful HBO series that is closer to real life than you might imagine. The post W035c: Our Flag Means Death appeared first on .

The classic tale set during the reign of Richard I. The post W018b: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) appeared first on .

Our first non-video discussion on the podcast. This is a British audio-play about the Conquest of England in 1066. The post W016c: Bayeux Tapestry (2001) appeared first on .

Absolutely stuffed with historical characters, even if they play fast and loose with the actual history. The post V07: Vikings: Valhalla, season 1 appeared first on .

Surprise side quest! Rich begins to look at the history of the English monarchy. The post W014ab: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) appeared first on .

A look at the music scene of the 1960s as we see a young Bob Dylan help folk music go mainstream. The post A065: A Complete Unknown (2024) appeared first on .

The actual truth will likely never be known, but Oliver Stone here lays out his case that the official story of the JFK assassination is full of holes. The post A064: JFK (1991) appeared first on .

A film that perfectly encapsulates the terror and absurdity of the threat of nuclear war. The post A063: Dr. Strangelove (1964) appeared first on .

The first documentary we’ve tackled in over seven years of doing the show, but we felt it was too important to skip. The post A062: The Fog of War (2003) appeared first on .

A bit trivial compared to what we normally cover, but gives us an opportunity to discuss American culture and the history of rock ‘n’ roll. The post A061: Priscilla (2023) appeared first on .

Spike Lee’s biopic of Malcolm X attempts to include Malcolm entire life, short as it was. The post A060: Malcolm X (1992) appeared first on .

A wonderful form of biopic that chooses one event to focus in Truman Capote’s life as opposed to giving us his full biography. That event is the murder of the [ … ] The post A059: Capote (2005) appeared first on .

A few Hollywood changes, but based on the true story of Homer Hickam and his friends who built their own rockets as teenagers in the late 1950s in West Virginia. The post A058: October Sky (1999) appeared first on .

Mostly fictional, but Bloody Christmas is very much based on a real event. And it’s just a great movie! The post A057: L.A. Confidential (1997) appeared first on .

This Korean War movie features two real-life pilots on a mission in the early days of the conflict. The post A056: Devotion (2022) appeared first on .

Interesting look at one of the primary writers affected by the Blacklist in Hollywood during the second Red Scare. The post A055: Trumbo (2015) appeared first on .

Not the strongest version of this story we could have gotten, but Chadwick Boseman does a great job as Jackie Robinson. The post A054: 42 (2013) appeared first on .

This all-time cinema classic isn’t a true story, but still gives us plenty to talk about. The post A053: The Godfather (1972) appeared first on .

Best picture winner about three soldiers returning home from the war and struggling to rejoin society. The post A052: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) appeared first on .

Continuing our discussion of It’s a Wonderful Life! The post A051b: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 2 appeared first on .

This Christmas classic is obviously fictional, but there’s plenty of history and early-20th century Americana to discuss. We went long so this is part 1 of 2. The post A051a: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 1 appeared first on .

Set at the end of the samurai era in Japan, this movie oversimplifies and outright distorts the actual history. The post W045b: The Last Samurai (2003) appeared first on .

An instant classic that very closely parallels actual events from Japanese history. The post W033b: Shogun (2024) appeared first on .

A tale from Arthurian legend, so nothing historic. But it gives us a chance to talk about the history of Arthurian legend itself. The post W012b: The Green Knight (2021) appeared first on .

We continue our discussion of Robert’s Rebellion and how it set up the events of the Game of Thrones series. The post Robert’s Rebellion, pt. 2 appeared first on .